Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thankful Tree

I love doing this project with kids once they are old enough to think about the things they are grateful for in their lives. I've done it before with both preschoolers and elementary aged students. Now that Big Brother is a little older I was able to do it with him. We did the project on 8 x 11 paper with the hope we can make it an annual tradition and compare how his hand grows and his thankful pieces change. The paper size will make it easier to fit into some sort of memory book.

Materials are basic: colored construction paper, white paper, scissors (I found it helpful to have both a kid and adult pair), glue, and marker.

First we traced Big Brother's arm and hand onto the brown construction paper. I cut it out for him and he glued it onto the white paper.

Next we cut out leaves from the colored construction paper. I traced some for Big Brother and he cut those out. As he worked I also cut out some. (This was one of those moments where I notice how quickly my kiddos are growing. Only a few months ago scissors were still a little daunting to Big Brother.)

Finally, I asked him to tell me what the things were that he was grateful for this Thanksgiving. On a nightly basis we talk about the things we are grateful for, so this wasn't too far of a stretch for him. I would write it down on a leaf using black pen and he would glue it onto the tree.

Big Brother included many of the things we talk about nightly: Mommy, Daddy, Little Brother, our dog Lily, etc. as well as some relevant to the week including Thanksgiving Dinner and snowballs.

He wondered why I didn't make a tree, which was probably a good point. What would you include on your tree?